Mary Gayle Pifer
Mary Gayle Pifer of La Crosse
peacefully fell asleep following a brief illness on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006,
at Gundersen
Lutheran Medical
Center in La Crosse.
Mary Gayle was born in Fort Worth,
Texas, to James Lois and Gayle Dillin Loveless on Nov. 3, 1932. She was raised in Hutchinson, Kan., where
she attended Hutchinson
High School. Mary Gayle
graduated from Kansas University in Lawrence,
Kan., and then returned to Hutchinson High School
as a teacher of French and drama. Later, Mary Gayle earned her master's degree
in music at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
She earned a doctor of philosophy in French from Kansas University.
Mary Gayle was a member of the Pi Delta Phi, the National French honors
society. In 1974, Dr. Pifer joined the faculty of the
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as a professor of French in the Modern
Language Department. She ultimately served several terms as the chairwoman of
that department. Her commitment to higher education is evidenced by her
post-doctoral work at both Yale University and University of Minnesota.
She was a leader at UW-La Crosse in developing the English as a Second
Language for Educators program, in part to meet the clear needs in local
schools to respond to the new immigrant populations from Southeast
Asia. Dr. Pifer worked with both the
school systems and with local agencies to strengthen the services provided to
the Hmong community.
In addition, Dr. Pifer was a leader in the
development of the Amity program at UW-La Crosse, which annually brings to the
university a minimum of five advanced students from different international
cultures and languages to work with university students. Dr. Pifer was also instrumental in working with the university
to bring international scholars from diverse countries, including Norway, China
and Latvia
to campus.
One of Dr. Pifer's more significant contributions to
UW-La Crosse was the implementation of the Institute of English
as a Second Language. Dr. Pifer contributed to the
continued development of a global perspective and understanding by introducing
the campus and the community to multiple international cultures through the
institute.
On Nov. 21, 1991, Dr. Pifer was named Outstanding
Woman of the Year by the YWCA for her contributions in promoting multi-cultural
relations. In addition to her commitment to higher education, Mary Gayle was a
loving mother, daughter and friend.
She is survived by her daughter, Gayle Roenbaugh; and
her two beloved Cocker Spaniels, Danny and Maggie. She was preceded in death by
her mother, father and one brother.
Services will be held in Mary Gayle's beloved Fort Worth, Texas.
Memorials may be given to the Mary Gayle Pifer
Scholarship Fund at UW-La Crosse or the St. Claire Health Mission in La Crosse.
A local celebration of Mary Gayle's life will be held Nov. 4, on the occasion
of her birthday, at 4 p.m. at Loons on La
Crosse in Howie's Hof Brau, 1120 La
Crosse St., La Crosse.
Blaschke &Schneider Funeral Home of La Crosse
assisted the family with arrangements.
.